I have a greater understanding of Samuel Tippet’s memoir through the process of mapping it. I am sure that my group members would agree. In general, I believe that learning is best done with visual aids. Samuel Tippet’s memoir was challenging to understand and get a grasp on. This class has taught me how to properly analyze a memoir. Prior to taking this class, I would’ve only scratched the surface on Tippet’s memoir. I would’ve read it a few times and took notes on key aspects. By tagging, going through the transcription process, creating a timeline and finally mapping it, I feel like I really understand this memoir thoroughly.
As Bodenhamer says, “we are inherently spatial beings: we live in a physical world and routinely use spatial concepts of distance to navigate our way through it” (14). I found this to be very true as I went through the process of mapping Samuel Tippet’s memoir. Samuel Tippet references places in his memoir which I nor my group members were familiar with. It is helpful to see these locations on a map to visualize and make sense of what he is speaking of. I have been to London twice, so through looking at a map and using London as a reference point, I am able to make sense of where different counties he mentions, such as Bristoll, are. Having the map makes these location names come alive. “The complex and culturally relativistic view of space, the the product of the last several decades, has reinvigorated geography as a discipline,” (Bodenhamer, 14). I wouldn’t have understood London’s relation to these locations had I not investigated with a map.
I have also found that creating our timelines prior to the maps was extremely useful. Organizing all of Tippet’s information in a visual and chronological way was helpful to develop an understanding. I referenced our timeline frequently through the process of creating my map. “We are drawn to issues of meaning, and space offers a way to understand fundamentally how we order out world,” (Bodenhamer, 14). I used some images from the timeline in addition to ones from google images. The timeline allowed me to see Tippet’s life in the context of a story. Through breaking down and analyzing Tippet’s memoir continuously and in different manners, I feel as though I have finally fully grasped it. Rather than reading and understanding what Tippet is saying at a surface level, I have now done the background research to understand what he is referencing.
https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/5eb8581f880599c343b42c1fd04b4e2c/map/index.html
ame src=”https://uploads.knightlab.co[iframe src=”https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/5eb8581f880599c343b42c1fd04b4e2c/map/index.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”100%” height=”800″][/iframe]m/storymapjs/5eb8581f880599c343b42c1fd04b4e2c/map/index.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”100%” height=”800″][/iframe]
Allison Butler is a sophomore at Bucknell University. She is from New York. She likes fashion and tennis.
1 reply on “Blog #5”
I completely agree with what you say at the beginning about how the best learning is done through visuals, I learn best being able to picture it and see it first. I believe this is the same in the case with our maps, we can understand the experiences of our authors best through seeing where they went. I liked how you were able to connect the map with your own experiences, having been to London and recognizing places you have been.